Mary Doyle, Deputy Secretary General Department of Education & - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Presentation by

Mary Doyle, Deputy Secretary General Department of Education & Skills

to the

National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals National Symposium

CLONTARF CASTLE, 4 MARCH 2014

Opportunities for Growth

CURRENT PERSPECTIVES AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS – PARTICIPATION IN POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION AND TRAINING

PART ONE

OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM – CONTEXT AND OVERVIEW

50,000+ teachers 1,000,000 + learners across the system 4,000 schools 850,000+ children and young people in schools 39 State funded higher education institutions 67,000+ pre- school children 16 Education and Training Boards

10,000 Special Needs Assistants in schools

160,000+ full- time 3rd level students 40,000+ part- time 3rd level students

FÁS training for 72,000+ unemployed persons 23,000+ staff in higher education institutions

An overview of the Education and Training sector in Ireland

180,000 Further Education places available

Department of Education and skills

Our Mission to enable learners to achieve their full potential and contribute to Ireland’s economic, social and cultural development. Our overarching goal is to improve the quality of learning and teaching at all levels of the education and training sector and improve learning outcomes over time.

Key challenges for the sector

BUDGET

• 2013 Budget for Education

and Training (including NTF) €8.5 billion.

• Pay/Pensions

€6.4 billion (75%)

• Non Pay €1.69 billion (20%)
• Capital €0.414 billion (5%)
• 16%
• f

Government spending.

STAFFING

• One third of all public sector

employees are working in the education and training sector.

• The

need for budgetary adjustments in recent years have resulted in a net reduction of

• ver 3,900 staff across education

between end 2008 and end 2012.

• An additional 3,500 teachers

were provided for demographics during this period.

• We expect further reductions

in staffing numbers will be required in 2014 & 2015.

DEMOGRAPHICS

• Enrolment

in schools is expected to grow by almost 70,000 between now and 2018.

• Enrolments

are likely to continue to increase towards a peak of 990,000 pupils by 2024.

• Full-time enrolment in third

level has grown by 30% over the past 9 years and student numbers are expected to increase by a further 28,000 between now and 2015/16 and peak beyond 2024.

How well are we doing?

OECD Education at a Glance 2013* showed: 85% of 25-34 year olds in Ireland had completed at least upper secondary education, compared to an OECD average of 82%. Placing us 17th out of 33 countries surveyed. Almost half of 25-34 year olds in Ireland have attained tertiary education, significantly above the OECD average

• f 39%. Placing us 4th out of 33 countries surveyed.

Eurostat data** from the EU Labour Force Survey shows that: The proportion of early school leavers in Ireland in 2012 was 9.7%, down from 13.1% in 2004, and well below the EU average of 12.8%.

International benchmarks show that Ireland is performing well in some areas

*The latest edition of Education at a Glance (EAG) was published by the OECD on Tuesday 25th June 2013. The reference year for data in this publication is the school year 2010/2011 (or the financial year 2010 or the calendar year 2011 in the case of labour market status). The entire pdf copy

• f Education at a Glance Indicators 2013, as well as the

detailed data tables in Excel format, can be downloaded here: http://www.oecd.org/edu/eag2013.htm

How well are we doing?

PISA* 2009 results for literacy and numeracy showed that: Irish students’ performance in reading places Ireland among the “average performing” countries. Just over 17% of students in Ireland are low-achieving in reading (compared to 18.8% on average across OECD countries). The performance of Irish students in Mathematics places Ireland among the “below average” performing countries. In Mathematics, Ireland had significantly fewer students scoring at the higher levels of ability than the OECD average (6.7% compared to 12.7%).

*The OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an international survey of the achievement of 15- year-old students in reading literacy, mathematical literacy and scientific literacy.

Some international benchmarks show that Ireland could do better

Priority areas for action

Learning for Life

We want an education and training system that provides all learners with the knowledge and skills they need to participate fully in society and the economy, one that enables learners to learn how to learn.

Improving Quality and Accountability

We want an education and training system that provides high quality education and training experiences for everyone.

Supporting Inclusion and Diversity

We want an education and training system that welcomes and meaningfully includes learners with disabilities and special educational needs and those with language, cultural and social differences and supports disadvantaged learners.

Building the Right Systems and Infrastructure

We want a modern, flexible education and training system which makes the best use of available resources.

Part Two

EXPANDING PARTICIPATION FROM SCHOOL INTO FURTHER AND HIGHER EDUCATION

Expanding Participation in FE and HE

50% 28% 10% 7% 5%

School Completers – Destination Survey 2010 Leaving Cert (DES 2013)

Higher Ed Further Ed Employed Social Welfare Emigration

Huge Growth in Higher Education Demand Projected (DES 2013)

Dealing with Growth in Demand – Challenges and Opportunities

• Growing and widening participation in FE and HE – equity of opportunity for all students
• Easing the transition for students entering higher education
• Putting in place a wide range of education and training options for school leavers and other

learners

• Transparent and flexible progression routes throughout post-secondary education and training

sectors

• Sustainable funding mechanisms
• Putting in place appropriate financial and other supports for those who need them
• Planning, monitoring and evaluating outcomes for students
• Increasing the accountability and transparency of educational institutions

Expanding Participation in FE and HE - a multi-layered approach

Expanding participation in further and higher education

New Life-cycle approach – all stages of education Raising levels of retention and performance in 2nd Level – DEIS Access Programmes into HEIs – HEAR/DARE Implementation of the National Plan for Equity of Access to Higher Education (2008-2013). Work has started on the next national access plan for 2014

• nwards

Implementation of HE System Performance Framework Solas/ETBs – Development and implementation of FET Strategy Review of Apprenticeship Training – reform

• ptions to be identified

Improving Transition 2nd Level into HE

Transition Reform, DES, HEA, NCCA, SEC and HEIs working together to reduce upward pressure on CAO points and backwash of competitive selection and entry into teaching and learning at 2nd Level This work is focused around three key commitments to:

• reduce the number of grade bands in the

Leaving Certificate,

• address problematic predictability in Leaving

Certificate exams, and

• reduce the number of degree programmes in

higher education.

Supporting Students when they get there

Provision of scheme of means-tested student grants for further and higher education courses which includes a special rate of maintenance grant for students from welfare-dependent families. Provision of the Student Assistance Fund at college level to assist students in particular financial difficulties. A new Third Level Bursary Scheme based on merit but targeted specifically towards students from disadvantaged areas commenced in 2012 The Fund for Students with Disabilities at college level to assist students with disabilities in further and higher education to enable them to access, participate and complete their course of study.

Part Three

TRANSITION REFORM –IMPLICATIONS FOR 2 ND LEVEL STUDENTS OF THE EXPANSION OF HIGHER EDUCATION

What is Transition Reform?

Dominance of Higher Education as a destination for school leavers and its entry selection system has implications for learners in 2nd and 3rd level Transition Reform Group is looking at what happens as students move from school into higher education e.g.

The way that colleges use the Leaving Certificate results of students to select students for different courses (CAO points system); How that has an effect on the experience of students in 5th and 6th year; and How to improve some of the negative effects that have been identified by research and others for students in 2nd and in 3rd level

Why do we need to look at how students go from 2nd

nd level into 3rd rd level?

Research has shown that using the Leaving Certificate to decide who goes where in 3rd level may have a negative effect on teaching and learning in 5th and 6th year;

• Pressure is being put on teachers to “teach to the test” and on students to “rote

learn”;

• Too much focus on the exam means there is not enough time for broader learning

around a subject and other skills to be learned by second level students.

There is also evidence that the huge growth in the numbers of honours degree courses in the last ten years has led to:

• Points for entry into some courses being unnecessarily high;
• Students picking specific courses and specialising very early before they know enough about

the area of study;

• Students who regret their choices being more likely to drop out of college or have to transfer.

Consultation with 2nd

nd level students – CAO System

Impact on senior cycle students

Key Findings – Students expressed these perceptions Feeling under significant and constant pressure and stress with no time for exercise or social life to alleviate stress; Discouraged from independent thinking; Making subject choices based on what is easier to rote learn; Making career choices based on points rather than what they are passionate about; Making life-defining decisions at too young an age and pressurised by CAO deadlines; Given no chance to be creative or expressive; Unprepared for life after school

Underpinning Principles of Transition Reform

I. A recognition that good learning outcomes and key competences developed through a high quality student experience at second level provide a firm foundation for successful learning in higher education; II. A simplified, coherent and streamlined approach to system architecture and processes helps to build a bridge for students at the interface between different levels of education; III. Our national examination and our higher education admissions systems must have reliability, validity, integrity, equity, fairness and transparency as their

• hallmarks. It is essential that full public confidence

in both systems is maintained.

Transition Reform – Directions for Change

Conclusion

Building Infrastructure in the Department of Education & Skills - Supporting and Evaluating Change

• Transition Reform Group
• Cross-Divisional Group on Social Inclusion
• Knowledge Management & Analysis Unit
• Regular meetings DES/HEA/Solas